VETS: Give VA a break

The Veterans Administration is getting a bad rap from a lot of people, including some vets themselves seeing recent stories in the news. Yes it’s true that the waiting time to see a specialist may take weeks but bear in mind that the number of people wanting medical treatment far exceeds the capability of the VA. If you don’t believe this just go to the VA on any given day and look at the parking lot. Go inside the hospital and you’ll get an even grimmer picture of how crowded it is.

Sure the VA can’t keep up with the number of vets who seek medical aid, but whose fault is that? A doctor working for the VA only makes a third of what a private physician makes. Consequently the turnover rate is horrendous and will only get worse since a lot of vets don’t carry any health insurance at all or even Medicare Part B if they’re over 65. They believe the government should foot the bill even though they never served more than a few years in the military.

I’d like to point out that there’s a difference between a “service connected disability” and a non-service medical problem after an honorable discharge, and that’s where the biggest problems are occurring now. There’s vets for reasons of their own who don’t have health insurance or they’re not eligible for any kind of disability, etc., and sad to say the homeless vets who in some cases are there because of their own reasons, drugs, alcoholism, poor hygiene, etc., contribute also.

The military never promised lifetime health care for those who choose not to serve a full 20-year service, and those who did are required now to pay (a small premium) for health care.

I for one appreciate the VA and I use it for primary care and if I need a specialist I’ll go to my regular doctor. I just hope I’ll be able to continue buying private health insurance along with Medicare, but the future doesn’t look good.

PAUL UNDERWOOD

St. Maries